U.S. Indictment Charges 10 Mexican Officials, Including Sinaloa Governor, in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

U.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment in Manhattan federal court charging 10 current and former high-ranking officials in Mexico’s Sinaloa state with conspiring alongside the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic large quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for bribes and political support.

The indictment, announced on Wednesday, alleges that the defendants used their government and law enforcement positions to shield cartel operations, share sensitive information and facilitate drug shipments.

One defendant is accused of participating in kidnappings that resulted in the deaths of a DEA source and a relative. The governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, is among the 10 charged officials. Rocha has been governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state since November 2021.

The indictment includes charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. The defendants are accused of aiding in the importation of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. None of the defendants were in custody as of the announcement.

The defendants are alleged to be closely aligned with the faction of the Sinaloa cartel run by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. U.S. prison. At least three indicted officials—Rocha, the governor; the mayor of Sinaloa’s capital; and a senator—were affiliated with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party, Morena.

Attorney Jay Clayton called the Sinaloa cartel a ruthless criminal organization that has flooded this community with dangerous drugs for decades. U.S. U.S. administration would launch an anti-corruption campaign targeting Mexican officials linked to organized crime.

Johnson stated: 'Corruption not only hinders progress, it distorts it. It increases costs, weakens competition, and erodes the trust upon which markets depend. ' Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded on Monday by saying that her government has not seen any evidence of the charges of corruption.

' Sinaloa’s governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Drug Enforcement Administration.